Commission declares March ‘Red Cross Month’

POINT PLEASANT — The Mason County Commissioners have declared March as “Red Cross Month.”

Sharon Kesselring, executive director of the Northwest chapter of the Red Cross, was in attendance at the recently held commission meeting to give a report on the Red Cross organization. She shared in Mason County the Red Cross had 13 responses within the calendar year, helped an estimated 32 individuals, 26 retirees from the military utilized the veterans services provided by the organization, 43 individuals took training classes such as CPR and/or First Aid through the organization, 340 students participated in a Red Cross project, and 542 units of blood were collected.

Two volunteers from Mason County gave 48 hours of their service.

Also, the organization now has an app for military personnel called “The Red Cross Hero Care App” which provides instant access to important Red Cross services to these individuals.

Following Kesselring’s reports, Commission President Rick Handley and Commissioners Sam Nibert and Tracy Doolittle approved a proclamation declaring March as “Red Cross Month.”

Kesselring is seeking out new Red Cross volunteers from Mason County as well as an individual to serve as a Red Cross board member for Mason County.

For anyone interested in volunteering or becoming a board member, Kesselring can be contacted at 304-485-7311, extension 7102, 304-488-5279, or sharon.kesselring@redcross.org.

County Administrator John Gerlach and the commissioners discussed a letter Handley received from an official with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, addressing the receipt of a letter Handley, on behalf of the commission, sent to Governor Jim Justice on Jan. 25 regarding concerns of the secondary roadways in Mason County.

The letter stated: “In addition, all secondary roads that are a part of our State Highway System in Mason County will continue to receive regularly scheduled maintenance in accordance with our current Core Maintenance Plan.”

Gerlach and the commissioners discussed how they and other residents of Mason County have not witnessed this proposed “regularly scheduled maintenance.” Handley commented he does not think Mason County workers or other counties’ workers within the state are getting enough funding from the state to fix the roadways.

The letter additionally stated: “Please be aware, however, that our work is prioritized based upon various factors including, but not limited to, route type, average daily traffic, and classification, to serve as much of the traveling public as possible.”

Nibert commented he feels a lot of emphasis is currently being put on the secondary roadways in Putnam and Kanawha counties.

In other business, the commission approved to authorize Handley to sign the West Virginia Justice Reinvestment Condition to Treatment and Supervision grant for $70,000 for the Day Report Center in Mason County.

The commission approved to hire Grace Sprouse as an entry level home confinement officer for the Mason County Sheriff’s Department. She will begin on March 16.

By Erin Perkins

eperkins@aimmediamidwest.com

Erin Perkins is a staff writer for Ohio Valley Publishing. Reach her at (304) 675